Revlon Cream Blushes Review and Swatches

I was going to wait to do another post, but I felt bad not having any swatch pictures!

Lately my obsession has been cream blushes.  When I first started getting more into makeup I never thought about blush.  I went to Sephora, bought one neutral pinky rose powder blush and thought I was set for life.  I would often tell my boyfriend with an air of superiority, "How can anyone need more than one blush?"  Oh, how wrong I was.  Oh so wrong.

My blush collection is still very small.  I'm trying to restrain myself and buy what I will really LOVE, not just because I don't happen to have that color.  I've already been that route with nail polish.  2 years and a search for every color and finish possible I have a collection of over 400 polishes (I can't bring myself to really count).  I know I will never have the opportunity to wear every one. much less use them up (yeah, I lied to myself about this for a long time.).  So yes, restraint is my motto.

Anyway, I love cream blushes because they blend into the skin, most of the time giving a more natural look while a powder can appear to just sit on top of the skin.  My skin is pretty "normal" (sometimes running a tad dry on my cheeks and maybe a tad oily in my t-zone, but not really), so cream blushes work really well on me.

I've been wanting to try Revlon's cream blushes for the longest time, but have never been able to justify the price ($9.99 at Walgreens), especially when drugstore makeup goes on sale so often.  So this sale gave me the perfect opportunity.

I REALLY like that they don't waste space by including a brush or a sponge.  Even in high end makeup these are usually useless compared to brushes you buy separately.  I didn't realize this when I was taking the pictures ( or I would have taken one of it) but the bottom right has a button that causes a mirror to pop out the side.  It's pretty cool.  The mirror is there if you need it and doesn't get in the way if you don't.  The packaging is minimalist, but sturdy.  It would definitely survive a drop.

I could tell by feeling the blush that they have a silicone base.  I listed the ingredients toward the bottom of the post so you can see for yourself.  Personally, silicones don't bother my skin at all.  If anything, they make my skin look better.  But I know many people have issues with 'cones so if you do these aren't for you as dimethicone is listed as the first ingredient!

Swaaaaatch Tiiiiiiime!

Revlon Cream blush in 09 Rosy Glow

Rosy Glow swatched on left and blended out on right

Rosy Glow is a nude, peachy-pink that looks warm in the packaging but pulls cool on me (my skin tone is cool, which probably explains THAT).  It has a slight bit of micro-shimmer that is not very visible.  I usually hate shimmery blushes, but this is subtle enough that I think it actually enhances the blush.  It is almost more of a sheen than a shimmer.  This looks incredible natural on me.  It is the color my cheeks naturally flush.  I really like this; it is perfect for a subtle look, but I'm not sure it would show up well on darker skin tones. (For the record, if you can't tell, I am very pale.  I've never been "fitted" for a MAC foundation, but from my own experimenting even the lightest seems a little dark.)

Revlon Cream Blush in 18 Berry Flirtatious

Berry Flirtatious swatched on left and blended out on right

As you can see, Berry Flirtatious pulls cool on my skin as well.  Like Rosy Glow, this color is also awesome.  It's is a medium berryish pink (I am horrible at color descriptions.  I usually use "ish" a lot!)  It is very buildable, but on my fair skin I only need a little bit for a bright, healthy flush.  While this is definitely brighter and more pigmented, the color is still natural and pretty.  Also, this does not have any shimmer that I was able to detect.


Here are the ingredients:
Dimethicone, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isotridecyl Isononanoate, Talc, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyethylene, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Boron Nitride, HDI/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Nylon-12, Alumina, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf (Green Tea) Extract, Gingko Biloba Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Distearalkonium Hectorite, Barium Sulfate, Sorbitan Trioleate, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Laureth-12, Acrylates Copolymer, Triethyl Citrate, Dimethicone Cyclomethicone Copolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ethylene/Methacrylate Copolymer, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropylparaben, Isobutylparaben, Butylparaben, BHT. May Contain: Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, 77492, 77499), Bismuth Oxychloride (CI 77163), Red 7 Lake (CI 15850), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Red 6 Lake (CI 15850), Carmine (CI 75470).
 


Pros

• Beautiful, wearable colors
• Berry Flirtatious's pigmentation is buildable
• Sturdy packaging
• Inexpensive if found on sale
• Very blendable

Cons

• $10 may be a little steep for drugstore makeup (not on sale)
• Rosy Glow may only work on lighter skin tones
• Only 2 colors were available at my Walgreens (the Revlon website only lists the colors I got, but says that they are available in 6 colors... hmmm)
• Chock full of silicones (this may be a Pro for some... like me)

Available

• $9.99 at Walgreens and Walgreens.com (on sale for $5.99 until Saturday March 19)
• $8.48 at Walmart
• Most, if not all drugstores and places that carry Revlon

Overall, I would definitely recommend these.  Especially if you don't mind the silicones.  I only wore these on my face (One on each cheek!  Don't worry, I didn't go anywhere!) for 3 hours but they looked exactly the same as when I put them on.  I think they are probably even worth it at full price.  I don't know what my problem is, I paid $25 for a Smashbox dual cream blush, and thought it was a bargain for two colors.  I guess my cap for drugstore is different from higher end brands!  Silly me.



Thank you for reading and have a great day/night/whatever!